Joran Kallos's page

Joran Kallos grew up in interesting times, to say the least. He was born on Coruscant to a middle-class family living a fairly normal life. His father, a low-level engineer for one of Coruscant’s tech companies, and his mother, who worked in hospitality, provided a reasonably comfortable environment in which to raise Joran and his older sister. By all accounts, it should have been a peaceful and modestly successful upbringing. Events in the wider galaxy, as well as the tendencies of his own parents, would ensure that this was not the case.

Joran can remember listening to his parents speaking to each other in the evenings, and he can also remember one of the most important rules he was taught: what is said at home is never to be repeated outside the home. It took until much later for Joran to understand exactly why this was. His parents would gripe about unjust Imperial actions and policies. They would speak glowingly with those who stood against those injustices, and sometimes even dare to hope that the Empire would not last forever. They instilled in their children a strong sense of justice and a skepticism

When the news of the Rebel victory at Endor and the death of the Emperor and his apprentice reached Coruscant, Joran’s family was among the droves of Coruscanti who celebrated. Though it happened nearly two decades ago, he still vividly remembers the massive crowds, the chants, the jubilant atmosphere that characterized the initial celebrations. The subsequent rioting and revolt, however, proved to be devestating for his family. His father, tired of Imperial rule and seeing a chance to finally help make a real difference, joined in the uprising and was killed during the crackdown that followed. His mother, absolutely terrified of further reprisals against her family, took her children and what money they had and fled dozens of levels lower into the city. The three of them spent the next two years in a state of fear and paranoia, always looking over their shoulders, always waiting for Imperial patrols to break down their door and drag them away. The patrols never did come, but Joran’s mother never even considered going back to the home they had left behind.

When Joran was nine years old, the New Republic liberated Coruscant from Imperial control. This became one of, if not the formative moment of the boy’s young life. The flashes of a battle happening far above the world. The Republic fighters flying over the city. News of Republic soldiers landing on the planet and advancing on the Imperial Palace. The distant sound of combat. When news of the palace’s fall came, the Kallos family ventured their first visit to the upper levels in two years. Republic soldiers, with their uniforms and rifles, impressed him greatly. Seeing the apparent dawn of a new era for the galaxy, one that, to Joran, his father had given his life for, proved to be even more powerful. The sight of the banner of the New Republic flying over Coruscant, and the way his mother broke down in tears upon seeing it, stuck in Joran’s mind. Joy and relief for herself and her children; sadness for what had been lost; exhaustion after years of feeling pursued. He decided in that moment that he would some day fight for the Republic, as his father had in his own way, and bring freedom to those still suffocating under the yoke of those who would oppress them. He would try to make sure that others would not have to endure the same hardships that he and his family had endured.

In 10 ABY, Joran’s family was forced to flee Coruscant altogether after the onset of another war. They floated around with the other Coruscanti refugees for a time, but returned to help rebuild their homeworld after the Republic regained control.

In 13 ABY, when Joran turned 16, he immediately applied to join the armed forces. He was wide-eyed, idealistic, and very, very young – as young as the Republic would even allow. His childhood had made him tough, both mentally and physically, resourceful, and incredibly driven. He passed through his basic training with flying colors, and quickly applied for, and was accepted into, training for the New Republic Special Forces. This proved much more difficult than he had ever expected, but ultimately, he passed this phase of his training as well. Fresh out of training – and perhaps a bit unlucky in his timing, if you asked Joran – he saw limited action in 14 ABY, though his experience there was instrumental in shaping his views of the Jedi. He spent most of his time in garrison or on defensive assignments the year after.

In 16 ABY, things seemed to start happening one after the other. That year saw the outbreak of the Black Fleet Crisis, during which Joran’s unit saw extensive action, deploying on a number of different missions for the New Republic. His experiences in this conflict did much to change his outlook. Whether by luck or by decree of fate, Joran had somehow been largely insulated from the full spectrum of what a war entailed. He had fled conflict, he had lost family, he had seen and heard battles happening in the distance, and early in his military career he had been involved in a few small engagements. Being on the front-lines of a full-scale war was different. The sights and sounds and smells of battle, the loss of dear friends, and confrontation with the ugly reality of the genocide perpetrated by the Dushkan League did much to temper the idealism and optimism he still possessed. Just as damaging in its own way was watching the early stages of the war unfold: the cowardice of much of the Republic’s political leadership; the refusal to act decisively to stop further atrocities; the constant hamstringing of soldiers like Joran whenever they attempted to do their job. The following year saw assignments related the Almanian Uprising and especially the final conflicts with the Imperial Remnant, during the latter of which Joran distinguished himself in a number of actions.

Recently, Joran volunteered himself for a posting at the Jedi Praxeum as part of the integration process of the New Jedi Order. He was still skeptical of and slightly bitter toward the Jedi overall, but in making this decision, he swore two things to himself: one, that he would not allow that bitterness and resentment to negatively impact his job there; and two, that if the Jedi were going to be integrated back into the New Republic, it was going to be helped along by someone who knew what he was doing, and who wouldn’t worship the ground upon which the Jedi walked. Who knows? Perhaps Master Skywalker will succeed where the Jedi of the past failed.

Joran is a tenacious and dedicated individual, and one whose desire to take decisive action when he thinks it’s needed has bordered on impulsivity in the past. He is an idealist at heart, though one who has been thoroughly disappointed to find out that certain things don’t translate well to reality. As a child Joran learned to cope with hardship by humor and sarcasm, and this trait carried over into adulthood.

Joran grew up as an avid fan of swoop racing, though he’s never quite had the opportunity to compete in any amateur competitions himself. He still enjoys it, and likes to keep up on news from different circuits and competitions when he is able to.

He still holds to the Republic as much as any of its soldiers, and will continue to fight for it, but he is much more cynical and distrusting of many of those who make decisions for it at the highest level. Joran’s view of the glory of fighting for the Republic, of liberating the oppressed and bringing peace, has also largely fallen by the wayside. War is a messy and ugly business, and the outcomes are hardly ever as simple as he thought before. Someone has to do the violence, though, and do it effectively to right people. Otherwise things fall apart.

To Joran, the Jedi are a perfect embodiment of difficult truths overshadowing the general idea of something. The Jedi have had, and still have, great potential to serve the people of the galaxy. Their abilities with the Force, if nothing, set them apart from the rest. The problem, as Joran saw it, is that much of history was the rest of the galaxy paying for the errors of Jedi. Given their Force-using capabilities, they made incredibly dangerous villains as much as they made helpful heroes. How many wars, how much death and destruction, how much suffering and hardship was ultimately the result of some Jedi losing control of their own emotions and deciding to inflict suffering on others? How many millions of soldiers like Joran have to fight and die while some guy with a glowing sword fights another guy with a glowing sword that’s a different color? And how many people attribute mythical status to these “guardians of peace and justice” for that, while forgetting everyone else involved?

Ahem… Joran’s issues with anger and resentment are clearly something he’ll have to work on.

Standing about six feet tall, Joran is lean and fit thanks to years of training and strenuous activity. His dark blond hair is cropped short, and he has bright blue eyes that seem to be constantly scanning his surroundings, taking in new information. He is usually dressed in some form of military uniform, and can often be seen carrying his carbine with him. When he isn’t, Joran dresses simply, usually in boots, dark trousers, and a brown jacket over a gray shirt.